When Gazing upon a Crucifix

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When gazing upon a crucifix, say, “What wondrous Love is this? that would bear the dreadful curse for MY soul?” What a hero we have in Jesus, to assume all punishment to let us go free, unpunished, and unharmed!

Too often, I hear Catholics begrudging themselves for the dreadful sins we inflict on Jesus and I suppose it is a start but the real truth, the real message God is trying to impart, is “See how much I love you.” If looking upon a crucifix leaves us loathing ourselves, we have completely missed the boat! The crucifix is the everlasting sign of God’s commitment, devotion, and passionate consuming love. It is the witness of a love that values an individual more than their crimes. It is a love so blinded by passion that it does not see anything but the beloved, no matter how disfigured, no matter how weak, no matter how great, no matter how small. It is a love that understands us so well that it does not take our actions personally.

When I look at a crucifix, I see a love that knew no limits. I see a love that knew no barriers. I see a love that is willing to suffer all the pain that is humanly possible in order to be with me wherever I am. I see a love that chases me even to the edge of forsakeness, crying with me to God, “Why have you abandoned me?” I see a love that says, “NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING, can separate you from Me…not even your greatest misery…not even your sin. I LOVE YOU and I will NEVER leave you.”

When I see a crucifix I see the price Jesus was willing to pay to be one with my soul in Eucharist. Is this what you see?
 
I see that some days; other more sinful days I feel unworthy; etc. However, the Love of God
is such he loved the world so much he sent…you know the rest.
Well said.
Mary
 
This is beautiful and true John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life
 
My Priest told me that, when we experience tears regarding our faith, they should be a mixture of sorrow and gratitude. To experience only one or the other strikes me as somewhat disordered, since gratitude alone tends to de-emphasize the role of our sorrow, and sorrow alone risks de-emphasizing the role of our Lord.
 
po18guy said:
My Priest told me that, when we experience tears regarding our faith, they should be a mixture of sorrow and gratitude. To experience only one or the other strikes me as somewhat disordered, since gratitude alone tends to de-emphasize the role of our sorrow, and sorrow alone risks de-emphasizing the role of our Lord.
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I ran this by my priest before posting it. The point is that our attention is to be on Christ and His work. Interior change does not come from our own efforts at behavior modification rather behavior modification comes from an interior change that is brought about by the realization of the love of God for us.
 
Lady_Love said:
When gazing upon a crucifix, say, “What wondrous Love is this? that would bear the dreadful curse for MY soul?” What a hero we have in Jesus, to assume all punishment to let us go free, unpunished, and unharmed!

Too often, I hear Catholics begrudging themselves for the dreadful sins we inflict on Jesus and I suppose it is a start but the real truth, the real message God is trying to impart, is “See how much I love you.” If looking upon a crucifix leaves us loathing ourselves, we have completely missed the boat! The crucifix is the everlasting sign of God’s commitment, devotion, and passionate consuming love. It is the witness of a love that values an individual more than their crimes. It is a love so blinded by passion that it does not see anything but the beloved, no matter how disfigured, no matter how weak, no matter how great, no matter how small. It is a love that understands us so well that it does not take our actions personally.

When I look at a crucifix, I see a love that knew no limits. I see a love that knew no barriers. I see a love that is willing to suffer all the pain that is humanly possible in order to be with me wherever I am. I see a love that chases me even to the edge of forsakeness, crying with me to God, “Why have you abandoned me?” I see a love that says, “NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING, can separate you from Me…not even your greatest misery…not even your sin. I LOVE YOU and I will NEVER leave you.”

When I see a crucifix I see the price Jesus was willing to pay to be one with my soul in Eucharist. Is this what you see?
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AMEN, Lady Love. What a great post! 👍
 
Lady_Love said:
I ran this by my priest before posting it. The point is that our attention is to be on Christ and His work. Interior change does not come from our own efforts at behavior modification rather behavior modification comes from an interior change that is brought about by the realization of the love of God for us.
Click to expand...
Not leaving our God’s grace one bit! We absolutely rely on it all of the time for everything. Yet, the tears flow once we realize that it is our sins that made the atonement necessary. Sorrow for sin and gratitude for the atonemnt. Bitter and sweet.
 
po18guy said:
Yet, the tears flow once we realize that it is our sins that made the atonement necessary. Sorrow for sin and gratitude for the atonemnt. Bitter and sweet.
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Couldn’t agree more 🙂

Maybe it’s just me, but I feel that when you gaze long enough at a Crucifix (like what I do before Mass or during prayer), the Corpus looks so life-like, which makes it that much more inspiring spiritually and draws you closer to Christ himself.
 
I agree. It’s too usual for me when I look at one of the crucifixes in my room to thing He was so pierced for my sins and died for me, a sinner. I forget to look at it as the great love of God for me to do this so I will not perish but live forever with Him.
 
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